September 24

September 24th, 2012 dsisler

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 – ESV)

Please pray with me that our hearts and minds would remain focused on Jesus and the mission set before us.
Praise God with me for His peace and for the understanding we receive when we are obedient to His plan.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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September 23

September 23rd, 2012 dsisler

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13 – ESV)

Please pray with me that God would direct our way to SE Asia. Please pray that we would be safe and that any issues might be resolved quickly.
Praise God with me for the path He has set before us and for going ahead of us to make preparations.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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September 22

September 22nd, 2012 dsisler

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equipyou with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21 – ESV)

Please pray with me that God will continue to equip me for the journey He has set before me.

Praise God with me for the seen and unseen results of His equipping.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Ready For a Change?

September 21st, 2012 dsisler

Today is the last day you’ll be hearing from me…at least until October 7th. I will be unavailable, but I have a blog post ready to post every day while I am away. My very good friend, Lori will be posting, sharing on Facebook, Tweeting and replying to comments while I’m gone. I leave you all in very good hands.

(I think I have a small glimpse into the Apostle Paul’s life as he left those new Christians years ago…I know it was a difficult thing for him. He trained the leaders, he gave them ample material, the tools were all in place. He had done all he could. These people were his babies…babies in Christ. He wanted them to be cared for as if he were there doing the caring himself. In the end, he trusted God to oversee their spiritual growth. Yes, it must have been difficult.)
While I’m away, each post will feature a Biblical benediction, the bestowment of a blessing. I was amazed at how many there actually are! After the benediction, there will be some prayer requests and some praises. Please lift these requests up to our heavenly Father and praise Him for all He has done and will do.
I was reminded this week that I am not the only one leaving the country this week. There are others heading off on service trips too. My cousin and her daughter will be going to Haiti on Saturday. Please keep them and many others who are willing to give of themselves in prayer. May God exponentially bless human efforts as we share His Gospel with others around the world.
As I head out on this SE Asia journey, I cannot help but praise and thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me and our team. The prayer and financial support has been overwhelming. Thank you to each and every person who has and who will be praying for us while we are on this trip. You are a precious member of our team.
I have been pulling verses of Scripture to carry with me and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you in closing.
“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10 – NIV)
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2 – NIV)
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen f a skillful writer.” (Psalm 45:1 – NIV)
“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16 – NIV)
“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” (Psalm 89:1-2 – NIV)
I cannot wait to return. To share a story or two of how God worked through me. Of how He changed my heart. But until then, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 – NIV)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Flexible

September 20th, 2012 dsisler

I received an email yesterday that there was a change to our flight itinerary. Not a big one, just another ten minutes added to the layover in one of the cities. I’ve heard that flexibility is the number one rule of travel. And so it begins.

James has the right perspective on planning and flexibility. In his discourse on boasting about tomorrow, James says, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow…instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and so this or that.’” (James 4:14a, 15 – NIV) If we use this terminology, flexibility will be connected to God’s will and it will be God’s plan.
Paul learned of flexibility when he and his team were heading in one direction and their travel plans were changed because of a vision. A man in Macedonia pleaded for Paul to come to his country. (Acts 16:6-10) Paul and his companions got ready at once to leave for Macedonia. They received a lesson in flexibility.
Of course we know that Jonah also received a lesson in flexibility when he ran from God. Spending three days and three nights inside the great fish allowed Jonah to figure out that God’s plans will always take precedence over his own.
The one thing that we cannot be flexible in, however, is our message. Our message must be God’s message and it must not be tainted by our own thinking. Scripture is pretty clear and in plain words shares a simple message.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 – NIV)
That is the message. Oh, there is more to the message like how to be saved and what to do once we are saved, but this is where it all begins. This is how salvation comes to the lost. Through Jesus Christ. Remember Jonah only had five words (in his language) that lead an entire city to God. That is simplicity intertwined with flexibility!
When speaking to the Colossians, Paul asks them to pray for him. To pray specifically for him. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Colossians 4:2-4 – NIV)
This is my prayer daily. That God’s message is spoken clearly through me. That God would open a door for me to be able to share this message with someone. I think that is being flexible for God to work through me.
I am certain this little change in our itinerary is not the last. But it’s all good. God has a plan. He’s gone before us and has prepared the way for us. I will continue to be flexible in His hands so that I might be an instrument in His Kingdom.
How flexible are you?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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  • About Me

  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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